Tag: netsec

Anonymous, being the decentralized hacker group that it is, does newsworthy works of note as well as rather asinine things that despoil its name as well as the term hacktivistfor the rest of the world. Its recent escapade falls under the second category wherein Anonymous hackers hacked into security company Stratfor and mined it for credit card information. Apparently this was done to misappropriate the money and use it for donations to charitable institutions for Christmas.

The Austin, Texas-based security company is already in talks with law enforcement to contain the confidential documents’ leak. With clients ranging from Apple Inc. to the U.S. Air Force, the company had better work quickly to save both its reputation and corporate and military secrets. In addition, it seems that Stratfor has pulled a Sony by not encrypting the credit card information, leading to many unauthorized transactions alleged by the victims, especially for those who were in need of the money to get home for the Holidays and the like. Terrible move there, Anonymous.

It also seems like Anonymous forgot about the chargeback fees for unauthorized transactions that have to be borne by charitable institutions like the Red Cross.